Working Practices: De Grazia Report

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Serious Fraud Office is taking in response to the recommendations of the De Grazia report on its working practices.

Vera Baird: Since the publication of the report in June, the Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has made a number of changes designed to strengthen the leadership tram, improve staff training and to shorten the time it takes to get SFO cases into court.

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of crime and disorder reduction partnerships.

Alan Campbell: Following a review of the partnerships provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the duties to produce three yearly audits and to report annually to the Secretary of State on a partnership's work and progress were repealed in 2007. They were replaced by new statutory requirements in 2007 to introduce minimum standards for partnership working based on six hallmarks of effective practice, providing clear statements of the core functions of CDRPs and CSPs.
	Since the introduction of the minimum standards we have been focusing on gaining an understanding of how well partnerships are addressing the minimum standards. In order to continue to ensure CDRPs/CSPs are effective in delivering community safety outcomes for the public, we are in the process of analysing how partnerships have been progressing with implementing the minimum standards.
	Officials have also undertaken a major programme of consultation over the summer and have met representatives from many partnerships and partner organisations in order to update our understanding of the needs of CDRP/CSPs, including hearing about what more can be done to help them be effective. Our findings will inform a national support framework for partnerships. The framework will take account of the impact of the changes brought in through the minimum standards and seeks to understand the gaps in capacity and capability setting out what we will do to continue to support partnerships.
	The Home Office's Police and Partnership Standards Unit has also undertaken confidential un-graded assessments of around 30 CDRPs/CSPs over the last two and half years at the invitation of partnerships. They were assessed against their compliance with the six hallmarks contained within the Home Office publication "Delivering Safer Communities: A guide to effective partnership working, published in 2007."
	Government offices' provide a link between CDRPs/CSPs and central Government. They work closely with partnerships to offer support and guidance on meeting their objectives.

Genetics: Databases

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people had a DNA sample removed from the national DNA database in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 1997;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of people who requested the removal of their sample from the national DNA database in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 1997 subsequently had it removed.

Alan Campbell: In relation to the number of records removed from the national DNA database each year, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott) on 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 136-38W.
	In relation to the number of people who have requested the removal of their record from the national DNA database, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 2 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 909-10W.

Motorway Service Areas: Repairs and Maintenance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the letter from his Department, dated 30 June 2008, on Newport Pagnell Services, what recent correspondence the Highways Agency has had with Welcome Break Ltd regarding the repair of the access barrier from the service station to Little Linford Lane; and for what reasons the promised repair has not been carried out.

Paul Clark: Following the receipt of complaints from Newport Pagnell Town Council regarding the rear access barrier at Newport Pagnell Motorway Service Area (MSA), the Highways Agency (HA) wrote to Welcome Break on 3 July 2008. Welcome Break responded on 7 July 2008 to confirm that the barrier had been re-instated and that it was fully operational. However, following this, Welcome Break wrote to the HA on 11 July 2008, to highlight that the barrier had been vandalised again by traffic trying to access the local road network. I understand that Welcome Break has recently implemented a more robust barrier system which is now fully operational.
	During regular liaison meetings, the HA and MSA operators have discussed various options to provide a longer term solution to unauthorised use of rear access roads at MSA's and are currently considering options.

Sewers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many miles of new sewers were built in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: The following table shows how many miles of sewers were built as a result of new growth across the sewerage network by all the sewerage companies in England and Wales, in each of the last 10 years. This includes sewers built by developers and adopted by the sewerage companies
	The table also shows how many miles of sewers, across the sewerage network have been replaced or renovated by all the sewerage companies in England and Wales, in each of the last 10 years. These figures are made up of critical and non critical, renovated and replaced sewers.
	All figures relate to both gravity sewers and rising mains.
	Ofwat holds this information in kilometres but the figures have been converted into miles.
	
		
			  Miles 
			   New sewers  Sewers 
			   new growth  renovated  replaced 
			 1998-99 1,000 (1)113 (1)50 
			 1999-2000 771 (1)65 (1)53 
			 2000-01 1,247 114 67 
			 2001-02 728 103 62 
			 2002-03 793 125 117 
			 2003-04 631 93 80 
			 2004-05 700 82 77 
			 2005-06 626 91 88 
			 2006-07 619 153 122 
			 2007-08 627 131 127 
			 (1) Figures do not include non critical sewer replacements or renovations as data was not collected for these years.  Note: Conversion rate: 0.6214 mile per 1 km 
		
	
	The figures do not include private sewers in England and Wales which are not the responsibility of water and sewerage companies.

Departmental Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many external consultants work for his Department.

Kevan Jones: Specific data on the number of consultants employed by the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, MOD expenditure on external assistance, which includes management and other types of consultancy, has been reported to Parliament since 1995-96: summaries are available in the Library of the House.
	Furthermore, information on organisations, including consultancy firms, paid £5 million or more by the MOD in each financial year is published in the UK Defence Statistics. Copies are also available in the Library.

Gurkhas

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gurkhas joined the British Army prior to 1 May 1997; and what estimate he has made of the number of dependants of Gurkhas who served in the British Army prior to that date.

Kevan Jones: The Brigade of Gurkhas became part of the British Army on 1 January 1948, following Indian independence. Between 1948 and 1997, some 30,100 Nepalese men joined the Brigade.
	There is no data readily available to give a reliable estimate of the number of dependants for this group of Gurkha veterans.

Financial Services: Disadvantaged

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what policies have been  (a) considered and  (b) implemented by his Department's Financial Inclusion Team since its establishment.

Ian Pearson: The Government's policies to increase financial inclusion was set out in 'Financial inclusion: an action plan for 2008-11'.
	Previous Government documents on financial inclusion, including 'Promoting financial inclusion', published in December 2004 and 'Financial inclusion: the way forward' published in March 2007 show how the Government have developed their financial inclusion policies over time.

Algeria: Religious Freedom

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Algerian counterpart in respect of that government's policy towards its Christian community; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Neither I or my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary have had any discussions with our Algerian counterparts on this issue, but I am aware of reports emerging from Algeria concerning the closure of 'unauthorised' churches and the detention of Christians accused of evangelisation. On 22 July, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials held a meeting with a range of non-governmental organisations concerned about restrictions on the freedom of religion and belief across the world, including Algeria. Our ambassador raised this issue with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 23 July 2008.
	The right to freedom of religion and belief in Algeria was raised on 14 April during Algeria's examination under the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review, which the UK participated in. Additionally, the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, which came into force in September 2005, restates that the principles and fundamental human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an essential part of the agreement and must be followed by both signatories. The EU will continue to raise questions on human rights in Algeria.
	We continue to monitor the enforcement of religious laws in Algeria, and are in contact with Christian leaders in Algiers, raising individual cases when it is appropriate.

Jack McConnell

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the post to which Jack McConnell has been appointed is subject to the Ministerial code; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked Jack McConnell MSP to become his Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms. Mr. McConnell will be based in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), working with the FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence. This appointment is not subject to the ministerial code. Nor is it an office of profit.

Jack McConnell

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the post to which Mr Jack McConnell has been appointed is an office of profit under the Crown; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked Jack McConnell MSP to become his Special Representative for Conflict Resolution Mechanisms. Mr. McConnell will be based in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), working with the FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence. This appointment is not an office of profit. Nor is it subject to the ministerial code.

Russia: Foreign Relations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government has put forward in recent NATO discussions on managing relationships and arrangements with Russia.

Caroline Flint: The UK wants a constructive relationship between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Russia. Since 2002 the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) has promoted consultation and co-operation on a wide range of security issues. However, Russia's disproportionate actions in Georgia have put this relationship under considerable strain. NATO Foreign Ministers made clear on 19 August that there could be no business as usual with Russia. Ambassadorial level meetings of the NRC have been suspended and a number of NATO-Russia activities have been postponed.
	However, we have made clear that it is important that NATO keeps open lines of communication for hard-headed engagement with Russia, and continues co-operation where it is of strong benefit to the Alliance, particularly on Afghanistan, Counter-Narcotics and Counter-Terrorism.
	Russia must show it is prepared to meet its commitments under the 12 August and 8 September agreements, brokered by President Sarkozy. The extent to which Russian meets these commitments will determine how the relationship between NATO and Russia develops.

Departmental Older Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many people aged over  (a) 55 and  (b) 60 years have been recruited to work in his Office in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of new recruits.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 22W.

EDF Energy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what contracts his Office has with EDF; and how much his Office paid to EDF in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the purpose of the payment.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 336W.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce ambulance service response time targets at a local level.

Ben Bradshaw: Emergency ambulance response time data is collected centrally by the Department at ambulance trust level. The Department currently has no plans to change the level at which this data is collected. It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure there is appropriate provision of emergency services that are responsive to people's needs.

Cancer

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer patients there were for  (a) England and  (b) each primary care trust within the South West Strategic Health Authority, broken down by form of the disease in each financial year from 1997 to 2007.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National. Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cancer patients there were in each financial year from 1997 to 2007 for (a) England and (b) each primary care trust within the South West Strategic Health Authority, broken down by form of the disease.
	A table showing the number of newly diagnosed cases of cancer for each calendar year from 1997 to 2006 (latest available year) for the most common cancers, 'all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer' and 'other cancers' for (a) England and (b) each primary care trust within the South West Strategic Health Authority has been placed in the House of Commons library.

Obesity

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prevalence of obesity was in each of the last five years; and what forecast he has made of trends in the rate in each of the next 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the proportion of adults aged 16 and over and the proportion of children aged two to 15 in England that are obese is collected in the Health Survey for England.
	This information can be found in Health Survey for England 2006: Latest Trends, Table 4 of the adults' trend tables shows prevalence of obesity among adults in every year from 1993 and Table 4 of the children's trend tables shows prevalence of obesity among children in each year since 1995. The Health Survey for England 2006 was published on 31 January 2008. This publication is available in the Library.
	Information on trends in the rate of obesity in the next 10 years is contained in the report 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices—Modelling Future Trends in Obesity and their Impact on Health". A copy of this publication can be downloaded at:
	http://www.foresight.gov.uk/OurWork/ActiveProjects/Obesity/Obesity.asp.
	This publication has already been placed in the Library.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of administering the BCG vaccine to children in education but not resident in high tuberculosis incidence areas; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No cost assessment of this nature has been conducted.
	In 2005, following a review of surveillance data of tuberculosis (TB), the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advised that a targeted BCG vaccination programme was the most effective vaccination strategy for the United Kingdom. The programme aims to achieve high vaccination coverage in particular ethnic groups and in parts of the country where TB rates are highest.

Council Tax Benefits: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he estimates were  (a) eligible for and  (b) in receipt of council tax benefit in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire in each year since 1997.

Kitty Ussher: The latest estimates of the number of entitled non recipients of means-tested benefit in Great Britain are published in the report 'Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07'. These include council tax benefit, income support, pension credit, housing benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income based). Copies are available in the Library.
	Estimates of eligibility are not available below the level of Great Britain.
	Information on recipients of council tax benefit at constituency level is not available.
	The available information for Hertfordshire is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of recipients of council tax benefit in Hertfordshire as at May each year 
			   Number 
			 1997 66,170 
			 1998 63,480 
			 1999 60,320 
			 2000 57,280 
			 2001 54,370 
			 2002 54,270 
			 2003 55,710 
			 2004 58,130 
			 2005 60,360 
			 2006 62,440 
			 2007 62,990 
			  Notes: 1. Data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent caseload stock-count taken in May 1997 to May 2007

State Retirement Pensions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on the payment of backdated interest for late payment of deferred state pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: We aim to make payments as quickly as possible and it is our policy that compensation in the form of interest is considered where any unreasonable delay, beyond that for normal processing of the claim, has occurred. Every case is considered on its own merits. The interest rate is calculated for any period of unnecessary delay using an interest rate supplied by the Bank of England.

Arts

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent steps the Government have taken to assist the growth of creative industries;
	(2)  what steps the Government plan to take to encourage the growth of creative industries.

Barbara Follett: In February the Government published Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy. This document sets out 26 commitments intended to move the creative industries from the margins to the mainstream of the economy. The commitments, which we hope to implement over the next three years, span the life cycle of the UK's creative economy, setting out measures which will help children and young people to foster their creativity and turn their talent into jobs as well as helping creative businesses to prosper and then thrive. £70.5 million of Government money is committed to the strategy.
	The Find Your Talent programme has been launched, with 10 pathfinders providing five hours of culture per week for children and young people. The Technology Strategy Board has already offered over £7 million to a range of companies from across the creative industries sector to inspire new collaborative research and development.
	We want to encourage employers to create up to 5,000 apprenticeship places a year in the creative industries by 2013. We have also announced that world leaders from the creative and financial industries will convene in the UK next year for the Creativity and Business International Network (c&binet) to help ensure that our creative industries continue to grow and thrive.

English Heritage

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people participated in English Heritage outreach projects in each year since 2000.

Barbara Follett: English Heritage engages under-represented groups through its sites and in the community through dedicated outreach projects, reaching over 890,000 people from priority groups in 2007-08. It also supports a wide range of other events and initiatives to attract new users, including "National Archaeology Week" through the Council for British Archaeology which attracts between 80,000 and 100,000 members of the public to hundreds of locally arranged events; and Heritage Open Days through the Civic Trust which attracts up to a million visitors to events all around the country.
	
		
			   Number of outreach projects  Number of people engaged through outreach projects  Under-represented groups visiting EH properties  Total 
			 2005-06 78 46,751 773,868 820,619 
			 2006-07 85 49,495 797,078 846,573 
			 2007-08 88 33,477 857,260 890,737 
			  Note: The figures for visitors to properties are calculated based on annual survey data. The outreach figures are actual participants. 
		
	
	Figures for earlier years are not available as outreach figures were not gathered centrally until 2004-05 and the survey of site visitors did not identify under-represented groups until 2005-06.

Football Licensing Authority: Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press and communications officers are employed by the Football Licensing Authority.

Andy Burnham: The Football Licensing Authority has informed us that they do not employ any press officers or core communications staff.

Powers of Entry

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation sponsored by his Department has (i) amended and (ii) enhanced existing powers of entry since May 1997.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to my earlier answer given to the hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 148W.

Public Libraries

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department provides to libraries to increase their popularity as places to read; what assistance is given to enable libraries to work with the private sector towards this goal; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: In 2003 DCMS published Framework for the Future, the Government's 10-year public library strategy for England. This provided a broad vision to enable libraries to modernise through promoting reading and learning; enabling access to digital skills and services; and encouraging community cohesion and civic values, as well as looking for the scope for capacity building. Framework for the Future has been underpinned by work funded through the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), including the training programme Leading Modern Public Libraries, and library service peer reviews.
	In the context of Framework, on 9 October 2008 the Secretary of State announced that DCMS will undertake a Library Service Modernisation Review to define the Government's vision for a modern, world-class public library service and set out some of the necessary steps to achieve this vision. This review, which is expected to report in the spring of 2009, aims to support local authorities in delivering modernised, responsive and appealing library services for their communities, and to improve performance and increase usage. The private sector—particularly publishers and booksellers—are playing an important part in this project, and library services are increasingly working with private sector partners to improve their services.
	The BIG Lottery Fund £80 million Community Libraries Programme is an investment across England to improve community learning opportunities through libraries. Part of this is offering the types of opportunities that are essential to the promotion of reading activities. These include learning opportunities and activities to attract new library users such as reading groups, writing groups, language classes and family learning activities.
	Libraries have played a central role in the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) funded National Year of Reading, for which DCMS provided valuable policy support. This has promoted a broad range of themed events and activities, and as part of a membership drive signing up over one million new library members since April 2008.
	There are also a significant number of programmes funded by Departments, sponsored organisations and third sector partners which promote the increased use of public libraries. DCMS (through the MLA) and other Government Departments have provided funding for the Summer Reading Challenge, Book Ahead, Fulfilling their Potential, Vital Link and Families Love Libraries. In addition DCMS has given policy support to programmes funded directly by other Departments (namely DCSF) including Bookstart, Boys into Books and Booked Up.

Sports: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department has provided to  (a) amateur sports clubs and  (b) sport in schools in West Chelmsford constituency since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department does not provide any direct funding of grassroots sport; funding is channelled through Sport England. Sport England have advised that they do not hold specific information about grants benefiting amateur sports clubs and sport in schools in West Chelmsford and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, Sport England can identify the specific projects they have supported in West Chelmsford and Chelmsford local authority. The total value of these awards is £6,273,264 (£5,278,144 lottery funding and £995,120 exchequer funding).
	Of this total, some awards were made specifically to amateur sports clubs and sport in schools. The value of these awards is £199,913—£81,694 to amateur sports clubs and £118,219 to schools.
	While only a limited number of awards have been identified as being made specifically to amateur sports clubs or schools sports projects, amateur sports clubs and school sport projects would have benefited significantly from other grants within the overall figures provided above.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to raising the maximum level of Warm Front grant.

Joan Ruddock: A decision on whether to increase the grant maxima has been delayed pending consideration of the National Audit Office (NAO) recommendations on various aspects of the Warm Front scheme. The recommendations will be contained in the NAO's Value for Money audit, due to be published in December. These recommendations will be considered alongside further work to assess the impact of an increase in grant maxima on the overall number of households assisted in this and future years.

Microgeneration

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will set a binding target for microgeneration by 1 November 2008 as required by the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006.

Mike O'Brien: The new Department of Energy and Climate Change has already signalled strong commitment to meeting the following three long-term challenges facing our country:
	Ensuring that we have energy that is affordable, secure, and sustainable.
	Bringing about the transition to a low-carbon Britain.
	And achieving an international agreement on climate change.
	We have already announced our commitment to achieve an 80 per cent. cut in carbon emissions by 2050. We have also tabled amendments to the Energy Bill to introduce feed-in tariffs for small scale low carbon electricity generation up to 3MW and financial support for renewable heat at all scales.
	We want to enable people to move from being passive users to active generators of energy. While the microgeneration definition in the 2006 Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act, particularly in respect of heat generation, was of a scale more appropriate to households, we also want to see more schools, hospitals, communities and businesses invest in projects that will generate low carbon electricity and heat for their own use. This will allow more citizens to engage actively in the fight against climate change and increase our energy security.
	In the first half of 2009 we will therefore launch our renewable energy strategy, and will bring forward our more detailed proposals on feed-in tariffs for small scale low carbon electricity and incentives for renewable heat. In the light of these decisions, we will be in a position to set out in detail the expected contribution of on-site generation alongside other kinds of electricity and heat generation.
	Therefore at this stage, rather than designating targets within the narrower terms of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, we intend to bring forward broader proposals in the context of the Renewable Energy Strategy.
	I have placed a written statement of our reasons in the House Library.

Council Housing

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department has gathered for the purposes of benchmarking on  (a) the number of local authorities in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland which built council houses in 2007 and  (b) the number of houses completed in each authority.

Margaret Beckett: Statistics on local authority house building in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the respective responsibility of Scottish Government, Wales Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Local Government: Cheshire

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of progress in the formation of the Cheshire East unitary authority.

John Healey: I have recently completed a series of visits to all restructuring areas, including a visit to Cheshire East on 2 October. In addition, officials from my Department report to me following the regular monthly meetings they conduct with the council chief executives and leading officers responsible for implementation the unitary structures, including those of Cheshire East.
	The information points to Cheshire East being on track to deliver an effective unitary council, including the savings envisaged in their original bid.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 November 2008 to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) (UIN number 233081).

Stress

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the 2004 stress audit carried out by his Department will be repeated with results of audits published to monitor progress; whether the 2007 analysis of barriers in his Department's recruitment programme was published; what information his Department has gathered on the effects of its policies and practices on recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) his Department and  (b) public sector bodies for which he has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) undertook a stress audit in 2004 and the results were published to all staff via the Department's intranet site. A further stress audit was carried out in April 2008 to monitor the progress of DFID's stress management strategy. The results of the second audit were published to all staff via the Department's intranet in September 2008. Overall, the results were positive, showing an improvement on the 2004 position.
	A full equality impact assessment of DFID's recruitment procedures was completed in the summer of 2007, prior to the introduction of our new recruitment system which was launched in March 2008. This work is outlined in section 5.5 of the 2007-08 Annual Diversity report which is published on DFID's external website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk
	An analysis of the impact of gender, ethnicity, age and disability on DFID's recruitment policies and practices is also published in section 3 of annex A to DFID's 2007-08 Annual Under the Disability Equality Duty introduced by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, DFID is required to publish and implement a disability equality scheme. This is a plan setting out how we will carry out the disability equality duty, monitor and report on progress. In particular, this includes our arrangements for gathering information on the effect of our policies and practices on recruitment, development and retention of our disabled employees, including those with mental health conditions, and making use of that information.
	No routine information is gathered on the recruitment, development and retention of DFID staff with mental illnesses. However, DFID has been accredited with the Job Centre Plus' Disability Two Ticks Award for the recruitment of disabled staff (which includes those with a declared mental illness). Our human resources case management team also liaises closely with our employee health and wellbeing team to support staff with mental illness and to help ensure their ability to attend, and be effective, at work—for example by agreeing to "reasonable adjustments".
	DFID's equality impact assessments and Annual Diversity reports are reviewed by the Human Resources Steering Committee, and the management board, to identify priorities for continued awareness raising and actions to fulfil our equalities duties.
	DFID is responsible for 21 appointments to three non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs):
	Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK
	Crown Agents' Holding and Realisation Board
	Overseas Service Pensions Scheme Advisory Board
	Only the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission is currently active. DFID is committed to the Government's agenda for improving diversity on the boards of public bodies. To this end, and to encourage applications for all appointments from women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and disabled people, we advertise in a range of publications and ensure that each advertisement makes it clear that applications are welcome from all parts of the community.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that a higher percentage of aid pledged by donors is delivered in Sudan.

Ivan Lewis: In 2005 the International Community pledged US$ 4.5 billion for Sudan and over the period 2005 to 2007 actually delivered US$ 5.3 billion. A further US$ 4.8 billion has been pledged for the period 2008-12.
	While the percentage of pledges delivered is excellent, the problem has been delivering on the commitment to shift funding from a humanitarian to a recovery and development focus. The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken a leading role influencing existing funding mechanisms or supporting the establishment of new mechanisms which allow more donor money to be spent on recovery and development activities. These mechanisms include the Basic Services Fund and the Sudan Recovery Fund, which accept funds from multiple donors.

Dorneywood

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East, of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 174W, on Dorneywood, on what dates the  (a) Commons Chief Whip and  (b) Leader of the House of Lords, made use of Dorneywood for official engagements.

Kevin Brennan: The Leader of the House of Lords is chairman of the Trustees of the Dorneywood Trust and as such makes regular visits to oversee the running of the property as well as having official meetings. The Leader of the House of Lords and the House of Commons Chief Whip used Dorneywood for official engagements in September and October 2007, and in January, July and September 2008.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) UK nationals,  (b) UK born people,  (c) foreign nationals,  (d) non-UK EU nationals,  (e) EU A8 nationals and  (f) non-EU nationals of working age were in employment in the UK in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available; and what the employment rate was in each group.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many (a) UK nationals, (b) UK born people, (c) foreign nationals, (d) non-UK EU nationals, (e) EU A8 nationals and (f) non-EU nationals of working age were in employment in the UK in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available; and what the employment rate was in each group. (233095)
	The estimates are shown in Table 1 and come from the Labour Force Survey. Employment estimates for the most recent four calendar quarters are provided for (a) UK nationals, (b) UK born people, (c) non-UK nationals, (d) EU 24 nationals, (e) EU A8 nationals and (f) non-EU nationals of working age. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	For the purposes of this answer, nationality is defined as that reported by respondents at the time of the survey.
	The estimates provided are derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in 2007. They are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
	
		
			  Table 1: Working age( 1)  employment levels and rates( 2) 
			  Thousands and percentages, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Nationality  Country of Birth 
			   UK   Non-UK( 3)   EU24+4   EUAB( 5)   Non-EU( 3)   UK Born( 6) 
			   Level  Rate  Level  Rate  Level  Rate  Level  Rate  Level  Rate  Level  Rate 
			 July to September 2007 26,023 75.4 2,113 68.6 966 78.5 430 83.6 1,147 62.1 24,694 75.8 
			 October to December 2007 26,050 75.6 2,173 68.3 1,006 79.2 469 84.0 1,167 61.1 24,718 76.0 
			 January to March 2008 25,870 76.1 2,254 69.2 1,063 79.1 600 83.1 1,191 62.3 24,547 75.5 
			 April to June 2008(7) *25,882 75.1 *2,266 68.9 1,061 79.4 **498 84.5 *1,204 61.7 *24,532 75.4 
			 (1 )Defined as females aged 16 to 59 and males aged 16 to 64. (2 )The figures presented are weighted to the population estimates published in 2007. (3 )The groups non-UK and non-EU do not include those who did not state their country of birth. (4 )The EU24 group includes: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal. Republic of Ireland, Spain (including the Canary Islands), Sweden, Romania, Bulgaria and the EUA8 countries. (5 )The EUA8 countries are: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia. (6 )The estimates for UK born levels and rates are provided on the basis of a respondents country of birth. (7 )Coefficients of variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described as follows:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 < = CV< 5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 < = CV < 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 < = CV < 20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source:  Labour Force Survey

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in employment in  (a) each region and  (b) each local authority area were (i) UK citizens, (ii) citizens of other EU member states and (iii) citizens of non-EU member states in (A) each year since 1997 and (B) each of the lst four quarters for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated November 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question how many people in employment in (a) each region and (b) each local authority were (i) UK citizens, (ii) citizens of other EU member states and (iii) citizens of non-EU member states in (A) each year since 1997 and (B) each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. (233571)
	Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Lost Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what  (a) equipment and  (b) data was lost by his Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) Our records for the last 12 months show that the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has lost three Blackberry devices.
	 (b) The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, did not report any personal data related incidents for the period 2007-08.

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) his Department and  (b) the public sector bodies for which he has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Si�n Simon: Under the Disability Equality Duty introduced by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Department and its public sector bodies listed in the associated Regulations are required to publish and implement Disability Equality Schemes. These are plans setting out how they will carry out the Disability Equality Duty, monitor, and report on progress. In particular this includes their arrangements for gathering information on the effect of their policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of their disabled employees, including those with mental health conditions, and making use of that information.
	The Department makes reasonable adjustments for people with mental health related disabilities and has an occupational health service that advises managers on the steps they can take to help people with mental health related illnesses return to and stay in work. A confidential welfare service is also available for staff who may wish to discuss any health related issues. The Department uses the Guaranteed Interview Scheme when recruiting externally and for internal job filling.
	In line with the Disability Equality Duty, a report is published every three years to show: progress towards disability equality in my policy sector; and proposals for co-ordination of future work by relevant public authorities within my policy sector. These reports will show what impact, if any, policies have had on the recruitment and retention of disabled people including those with mental health condition, and set out proposals to address any gaps identified when establishing the progress made across the policy sector. The first report must be published by December 2008.
	The public sector bodies sponsored by my Department that are subject to these requirements are responsible for publishing and implementing their own disability equality schemes.

Students: Electoral Register

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist universities in their efforts to encourage students to register to vote.

David Lammy: The Department strongly supports the promotion of active citizenship among students in higher education, for example through increased opportunities for volunteering and other forms of community engagement.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is funding a project involving 10 higher education institutions, designed to incorporate modern citizenship modules into programmes of study in a variety of disciplines. Led by the universities of Southampton, Keele and Liverpool John Moores, the project has developed innovative learning materials for 1-2 week modules in 11 areas of citizenship.

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what funding has been agreed with each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies for the period 2008 to 2011.

Maria Eagle: Funding for the Ministry of Justice non-departmental public bodies has been agreed for 2008-09 only. Funding for 2009-10 and 2010-11 have not been agreed at this time and will be discussed at a later stage.
	The details for each body are in the following table:
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice Non-Departmental Public Bodies 
			  Sponsored body  2008-09 ( million) 
			 Legal Services Commission (Administration Costs) 115 
			 Legal Services Commission (Fund) 2,025 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission 7 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority 204 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission 7 
			 Parole Board 8 
			 Youth Justice Board (England and Wales) 423 
			 Information Commissioner's Office 6 
			 Total 2,795 
			  Notes: 1. Costs are rounded to the nearest  million and include cash and non cash totals. 2. Bodies included are those with Executive NDPB status.

Drugs: Smuggling

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for offences related to the unlawful import or export of illicit drugs in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of people proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for importation. And exportation of illicit drugs from 1997 to 2006 in England and Wales is contained in the table.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for the unlawful importation and exportation of drugs( 1) , England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Proceeded against 1,624 1,425 1,356 1,252 1,777 1,657 1,108 964 1,084 904 
			 Found guilty 1,307 1,265 1,197 1,206 1,683 1,621 1,079 1,013 1,062 871 
			 (1) Includes selected offences under SS 50 and 68 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and under section 19(a) and 19(b) of the Criminal Justice (internal Co-Operation) Act 1990. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that-the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year and they were found guilty at the Crown Court in the following year, or the defendants was found guilty for a different offence to the original offence proceeded against.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proposals on triggering were considered during the inter-party discussions on party funding.

Michael Wills: Sir Hayden Phillips' final report, published in March 2007, explicitly acknowledged the problem of unregulated spending at a constituency level. His preferred solution was to set spending limits to embrace all national and local party spending. The White Paper, Party finance and expenditure in the United Kingdom (CM7329), published in June 2008, makes clear that the Government broadly support the principle of an all-encompassing spending limit, but that we believe there are a number of practical concerns that would need to be addressed before this could be introduced. Given that cross-party support for Sir Hayden Phillips' fundamental package of reforms is not yet forthcoming, the Government have therefore proposed a return to the principle of triggering.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 15 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2028W, on political parties: finance, what consideration he gave to the Government  (a) Codes of Practice on Guidance on Regulations and  (b) Guide to Code of Practice on Guidance in formulating his policy on commencement of the new regulations on trigger rules before the issue of guidance on such regulations.

Michael Wills: The Government's Code of Practice on Guidance on Regulation and the Guide to the Code of Practice on Guidance apply to guidance provided by UK Government Departments and their Agencies. The guidance referred to in the previous question is to be provided by the Electoral Commission, not by the Government.
	Clause 19(4) of the Political Parties and Elections Bill (Bill 141) provides that clause 10 of that Bill will come into force on the date on which the Bill receives Royal Assent. However, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Jack Straw) indicated before the Justice Committee on 7 October 2008, I agree that guidance supplementing the Act should be in place from the Electoral Commission and, in light of that, I am ready to look at the timing of the commencement of this clause.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the impact assessment for the Political Parties and Elections Bill, what the evidential basis was for the estimate of five minutes processing time per donation for the processing of a donation declaration; and what estimate his Department has made of the average time taken to verify the source of a donation.

Michael Wills: The estimates in the impact assessmentboth for processing declarations and carrying out further verification checks in exceptional caseswere based on an assumption that the additional requirements on the parties to process declarations would be embedded to a degree within checks that they already carry out to ensure that the donations they accept are permissible under the Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
	The Government accept that a number of political parties are concerned that the impact assessment underestimates the compliance burden that the requirements of clause 8 might impose on political parties, and that the impact assessment understates the potential burden. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor (Jack Straw) indicated at before the Public Bill Committee on 4 November, while we are clear that greater transparency is essential, it should not be achieved at the cost of overburdening political parties, and I am ready to consider raising the thresholds at which declarations are required.

Young Offenders Institutions

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young people arrived at Ashfield Young Offenders Institution for admission after 9 pm between July 2005 and March 2008; what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of young people arriving at the institution for admission after 9 pm; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many times young people arrived at a young offenders institution after 7 pm in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008, broken down by institution.

David Hanson: Escort contractors report that from a total of 7,847 young people under the age of 18 years escorted to HM young offenders institution, Ashfield between July 2005 and March 2008, 210 young people arrived after 9 pm. The Youth Justice Board is reviewing the current arrangements for the escort of young people.
	Information provided by the escort contractors on the number of times that young people aged under 18 years arrived at a prison or young offenders institution after 7 pm in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007, and  (c) 2008, are set out in the following tables. However, the agreed reception closure time for the majority of young offenders institutions is after 7 pm.
	
		
			  Young prisoners aged under 18 years delivered to young offenders institutions and prisons after 1900 hours 
			  1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006( 1) 
			  Establishment  Number arriving after 1900 hours  Places available for young people under 18 years( 2) 
			 HMP/YOI Ashfield 454 397 
			 HMYOI Brinsford 159 221 
			 HMP/YOI Castington 194 166 
			 HMP Cookham Wood 14 16 
			 HMP Downview 20 11 
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 29 20 
			 HMP/YOI Feltham 148 213 
			 HMYOI Hindley 219 186 
			 HMYOI Huntercombe 62 368 
			 HMP/YOI Lancaster Farms 258 247 
			 HMP/YOI New Hall 37 26 
			 HMP/YOI Parc 9 35 
			 HMYOI Stoke Heath 524 129 
			 HMYOI Thorn Cross 18 43 
			 HMYOI Warren Hill 174 214 
			 HMYOI Werrington 90 156 
			 HMYOI Wetherby 153 356 
			 (1) This excludes young prisoners escorted from courts in the London and South East area for which data is unavailable. (2) At 31 October 2006. 
		
	
	
		
			  1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 
			  Establishment  Number arriving after 1900 hours  Places available for young people under 18 years( 1) 
			 HMP/YOI Ashfield 875 391 
			 HMYOI Brinsford 192 162 
			 HMP/YOI Castington 182 157 
			 HMP Cookham Wood 8 15 
			 HMP Downview 23 16 
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 35 14 
			 HMP/YOI Feltham 605 219 
			 HMP Foston Hall 37 11 
			 HMYOI Hindley 977 173 
			 HMYOI Huntercombe 325 363 
			 HMP/YOI Lancaster Farms 452 207 
			 HMP/YOI New Hall 58 24 
			 HMP/YOI Parc 19 58 
			 HMYOI Stoke Heath 563 137 
			 HMYOI Thorn Cross 22 40 
			 HMYOI Warren Hill 522 211 
			 HMYOI Werrington 103 147 
			 HMYOI Wetherby 368 360 
			 (1) At 31 October 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  1 January 2008 to 30 September 2008 
			  Establishment  Number arriving after 1900 hours  Places available for young people under 18 years( 1) 
			 HMP/YOI Ashfield 540 346 
			 HMYOI Brinsford 57 108 
			 HMP/YOI Castington 78 141 
			 HMP Cookham Wood 13 77 
			 HMP Downview 30 13 
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 45 12 
			 HMP/YOI Feltham 608 198 
			 HMP Foston Hall 17 13 
			 HMYOI Hindley 114 172 
			 HMYOI Huntercombe 407 332 
			 HMP/YOI Lancaster Farms 181 185 
			 HMP/YOI New Hall 30 25 
			 HMP/YOI Parc 12 57 
			 HMYOI Stoke Heath 337 194 
			 HMYOI Warren Hill 475 208 
			 HMYOI Werrington 93 123 
			 HMYOI Wetherby 130 328 
			 (1) At 31 October 2008.

Foster Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many foster children aged  (a) 17,  (b) 18,  (c) 19 and  (d) 20 years were with foster families as at one appropriate date in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The available information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Children looked after in foster placements at 31 March( 1, 2) 
			   Number of 17-year-olds looked after in foster placements  Total number of looked-after children in foster placements 
			 2004 2,000 41,200 
			 2005 2,100 41,300 
			 2006 2,200 41,600 
			 2007 2,400 42,100 
			 2008 2,500 42,300 
			 (1) Source: SSDA903 return on children looked after. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements. 
		
	
	Young people above the age of 18 are not in care and their placements are not defined as foster care, therefore, the requested information is not available. However, increasing numbers of young people are staying with their former foster carers after they reach 18 and our Staying Put pilots support local authorities to make these arrangements.
	The Department collects statistics annually on the activity and accommodation of care leavers at age 19. The definitions of categories of accommodation do not currently include a 'with former foster carer' category. At Report Stage of the Children and Young Persons Bill on 8 October, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners announced that consideration would be given to amending, from 2010-11, the categories in this collection to highlight placement with former foster carers.

Powers of Entry

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many powers of entry have been  (a) introduced and  (b) abolished by his Department through legislation since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the right hon. and learned Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office on 22 October 2008,  Official Report, column 452W.

Primary Schools: Absenteeism

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government is taking to address non-attendance at primary schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department is determined to get overall absence down in all schools. Absence in 2006/07 (last complete year for which data have been published) was 6.49 per cent.the lowest level on record in state funded schools. Absence has been lower than 1996-97 levels in all but two of the last 10 years. And on average 58,000 more pupils were in school each day in 2006/07 than would be the case if absence rates were still at the level of a decade ago.
	We have achieved this considerable progress by targeting persistent absence in secondary schools. Secondary schools have higher absence rates than primary schools.
	We do not ignore primary schools. When the National Strategies visit a Local authority with high persistent absence in secondary schools they also work with the local authority attendance leader to determine what is happening in primary schools and the advice they give applies equally to primary schools. All local authorities update their actions to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence on a termly basis with the National Strategies regional adviser and primary attendance now is a focus of those discussions. All local authorities also have a standards meeting in the autumn term where targets and priorities are discussed. Although these meetings are still taking place many local authorities have decided to have persistent absence as a priority with particular reference to primary schools. The National Strategies are running a pilot on improving attendance in primary schools with a number of local authorities in London. We will carefully consider the lessons learned from that pilot and the implications for our policy to target persistent absence.

Pupil Exclusions: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils were temporarily excluded more than  (a) once,  (b) five times and  (c) 10 times in Suffolk in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many pupils were permanently excluded more than  (a) once and  (b) twice in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on the numbers of pupils with fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time for the school year 2003/04, therefore data can only be provided for the last four school years. Data on permanent exclusions is available for the last five years.
	However it is not possible, given the amount of analysis required, to provide a response to these questions within the timeframe required by Parliament. The requested information will be placed in the House of Commons Library within 10 working days.

School Leaving

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of pupils who will continue their education at their current secondary school when the requirement for young people to continue in education or training until the age of 18 comes into effect.

Jim Knight: Our proposals would not raise the school leaving age, but introduce compulsory participation in some form of learning post-16. This could be in full-time education; work-based learning; or part-time education or training alongside full-time employment. The local authority will plan learning provision based on an assessment of the needs in the area and young people will be able to choose which route to follow. We have not estimated the percentage of pupils who will continue at their current secondary school.

Schools: Crime

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many incidents in  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools involved (i) knives and (ii) drugs in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Schools are generally safe places for pupils and staff.
	The Department does not collect information on the number of knives confiscated from pupils in schools, and there is no duty on schools to report to the Department when they find a weapon on a pupil.
	The Department does not record each individual incident that involves drugs, however such incidents are recorded if they lead to an exclusion. In 2006-07 there were 400 permanent exclusions in secondary schools related to drugs or alcohol which is around 5.3 per cent. of all permanent exclusions in secondary schools for that year. There were 60 fixed term exclusion related to drugs and alcohol in primary schools (0.1 per cent. of all primary school fixed term exclusions), 7,840 for secondary schools (2.2 per cent. of all secondary schools fixed term exclusions).

Special Educational Needs

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools for pupils with special needs have  (a) been opened and  (b) closed in England since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Pupils with special educational needs are likely to be attending all types of school. My Department's records, based on information provided by local authorities, indicate that the following numbers of schools have opened and closed since 1997:
	
		
			  Number of establishments opened in England since 1997 
			  Type of establishment  Total 
			 Academies 130 
			 Community 1,065 
			 Community special 172 
			 European schools 2 
			 Foundation 37 
			 Voluntary aided 208 
			 Voluntary controlled 106 
			 Non-maintained special schools 19 
			 Independent mainstream schools 532 
			 Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996 19 
			 Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN not approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996 372 
			   
			 Grand total 2,662 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of establishments closed in England since 1997 
			  Type of establishment  Total 
			 City technology college 12 
			 Community 2,548 
			 Community special 374 
			 Foundation 66 
			 Foundation special 5 
			 Voluntary aided 316 
			 Voluntary controlled 218 
			 Non-maintained special schools 14 
			 Independent mainstream schools 779 
			 Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996 17 
			 Independent schools catering wholly or mainly for pupils with SEN not approved under section 347 of the Education Act 1996 71 
			   
			 Grand total 4,420 
			  Source: Compiled from EduBase 
		
	
	Schools can be opened and closed for a number of reasons including: to meet demographic changes (e.g. population decline); as part of an amalgamation; as part of another type of local reorganisation; or, changes to age ranges such as a primary school being created from formerly separate infants' and junior schools. Each of these examples would result in opening or closure (or both) being recorded.
	In this context, between 1986 and 1997 there was a net reduction of 234 maintained special schools, and between 1997 and 2008 there has been a net reduction of 172 maintained special schools.